Florida jobless rate drops to 6.1 percent

TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in January, although the actual number of jobs actually shrank, according to new data released Monday.

The mixed results did not stop Gov. Rick Scott from touting the latest numbers as he focused on the steady recovery of the state’s economy.

“It is clear we’re making a positive impact on businesses and families in Florida,” Scott said in a statement. “We are creating an opportunity economy where businesses can continue to grow.”

Scott has made the rebound in the state’s economy a centerpiece of his re-election campaign this year. He has noted in campaign speeches that the unemployment rate increased under former Gov. Charlie Crist. Crist, who is now a Democrat and challenging Scott, has said Florida suffered because of the economic downturn that affected most of the nation and world.

The state’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.1 percent, which was lower than it was at the end of the year. The rate remains below the national average of 6.6 percent.

There are an estimated 581,000 Floridians out of work.

Despite the overall rate dropping slightly by 0.2 percent, the overall number of jobs in the state dropped by 2,600. The number of jobs is calculated using a separate survey.

Kevin Cate, a spokesman for Crist, noted the decline to jobs to blast Scott for “desperately attempting to take credit for a recovery that’s more anemic than what the economy was already predicted to do on its own.”

Florida overall has added nearly 193,000 jobs in the last year. That’s the third highest in the nation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Florida trailed Texas and California.

Scott has said the state’s unemployment rate is dropping due to his policies, including his push to cut back on regulation and lower taxes.

But economists who work for the Florida Legislature have said a big reason for the decline is that people are leaving the labor force or delayed their job search.

Monroe County in the southern end of the state had the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 3.8 percent, followed by Walton County in the Panhandle at 4.2 percent. Hendry County, in the southern interior, had the highest unemployment rate at 9.8 percent, followed by Flagler County at 9.3 percent.